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Keepin’ It Free: Donate to Cyndi’s List Today

You may or may not have heard that the recent litigation involving Cyndi’s Listhas been dismissed. If you’re asking yourself, “What litigation?” you can catch up here. While the issues involving genealogy and copyright in our community/industry are far from over, all I know is that a friend to me and to the genealogy community needs your help. And she’s like me . . . she finds it hard to ask for help, so I’m just going to do it.

I’ve not been asked to do this by anyone. I also told a certain “someone” I was doing it and “that was that.” So here’s my plea . . . I’m also going to provide an incentive and make it FUN! But first, some background . . .

Cyndi’s List – Over 327,000 Genealogy Links

Remember when you first started using the Internet? How fascinating it was to just go from site to site using “hyperlinks?” Sort of like an informational jet pack strapped to your computer? And then you decided to see if there was anything about your hobby or profession called genealogy out in that great big frontier called The Internet. I bet one of the first places you landed was Cyndi’s List.

That’s how it was for me back in 1996 when I first discovered this fantastic resource for genealogy. True confession: Cyndi’s List was like genealogical “crack” for me; I just couldn’t get enough!

Well today, Cyndi’s List is going strong like it has been for over 17 years. And Cyndi keeps giving to the community even when others just want to take, take, take. I am grateful everyday for the work that Cyndi Howells does and her tenacity in maintaining the integrity of Cyndi’s List and its content.

Consider making a donation – any size will help – to Cyndi’s List via Paypal at http://www.cyndislist.com/donate/. Cyndi’s List has always been a FREE resource for the community and Cyndi is still working hard to payoff debt incurred from a recent major upgrade to the infrastructure of the Cyndi’s List website.

An Incentive: A Free Copy Of My Newest E-Book

So, I’m going to be the first one to get this fundraiser going. Not only will I make my own donation, but between now and 11:59 PM CDT Sunday, July 7, 2013, I will be giving away the following reward to those who contribute $50 or more to Cyndi’s List: a PDF copy of my new ebook Staying Safe with Social Media: A Guide for Genealogy and Family History available at Lulu.com and Amazon for $3.95.

All you have to do is make a donation and send me a copy of your receipt via email to geneabloggers@gmail.com and I’ll send you the free book.

I’m also hoping some of my colleagues will also consider providing an incentive for donations. See, didn’t I promise this would be fun?

Celebrate Genealogy Resources Like Cyndi’s List

We all know that you have the freedom to support and use the sites you want in the genealogy industry, whether they are free or charge a fee. Especially here in the United States, that’s what we pride ourselves on: the freedom of choice.

It isn’t easy to always put the past behind us, especially when it has cost money, as well as time, spent attending to matters that could have gone towards updating links and maintaining the site. I know that Cyndi’s List can count on your support, so I ask you to contribute what you can!

And thank you. And I’m sure my “shy friend,” whom I adore, thanks you. Now get out there and do some great things with your genealogy research!

About Thomas MacEntee

What happens when a “tech guy” with a love for history gets laid off during The Great Recession of 2008? You get Thomas MacEntee, a genealogy professional who’s also a blogger, educator, author, social media connector, online community builder and more.
Thomas was laid off after a 25-year career in the information technology field, so he started his own genealogy-related business called High Definition Genealogy. He also created an online community of over 3,000 family history bloggers known as GeneaBloggers. His most recent endeavor, Hack Genealogy, is an attempt to “re-purpose today’s technology for tomorrow’s genealogy.”
Thomas describes himself as a lifelong learner with a background in a multitude of topics who has finally figured out what he does best: teach, inspire, instigate, and serve as a curator and go-to-guy for concept nurturing and inspiration. Thomas is a big believer in success, and that we all succeed when we help each other find success.

One thought on “Keepin’ It Free: Donate to Cyndi’s List Today”

I found Cyndi’s list on several accounts, I’ll be making a donation and hope to look into some new sights she may have, I do Ancestry.com but do hit a brick wall from time to time and it’s nice to know someone is working hard to help us with our family Genealogy. Thanks so much Cindy…God Bless